Deflower Me If You Can Chapter 10

Imagining a man over two meters tall cramming himself into this tiny ride, sitting there contorted to play with his son, was enough to make him dizzy.

Good lord, Ashley Miller…

The realization that the master of ‘the most influential family in America’ was living such an unexpectedly grueling life suddenly sapped all the will right out of him.

Fine. If Ashley Miller lives like that, who am I to complain?

With self-deprecating reflection, Cassian silently climbed onto the pirate ship. He forcibly ignored the cry of reason that said, ‘The peanut in front of you is his child, of course he does—my case is entirely different.’ Because in front of ‘Ashley Miller,’ he too was nothing more than ‘some heir of a ducal house.’ As the counterweight naturally shifted and the ship tilted toward Cassian’s side, Bliss, who had been lifted up, burst into peals of laughter.

“This is fun! Cassian, put your belt on, quick! Hurry! It’s dangerous!”

At the urging voice stomping its feet, he let out a sigh and fastened the seatbelt just as Bliss had done. Thinking, Ashley Miller must have worn this too, made it seem possible. Once Cassian had fastened the belt and let go of it, Bliss, elated, raised one arm high.

“Then, let’s goooo!”

At his signal, the waiting staff member pressed the machine’s button. And the pirate ship began to move regularly, drawing a small arc. Inside the pirate ship that tilted as it rose and fell at a mere 15-degree angle, Cassian sank into contemplation.

What, exactly, is life?

And so they rode every single ride there without missing a single one. By the time the staff member conveyed the message, “His Grace says it is time to return now,” Cassian was on the verge of sinking into philosophical musings about the birth of the universe.

Before anyone knew it, the sun was slowly setting in the distance.

∞ ∞ ∞

“We’re back!”

About three or four hours had passed when Bliss flung open the door of the drawing room, where the adults were still conversing, and shouted at the top of his lungs. Unlike Bliss, who had run all the way to the drawing room and loudly announced their return without seeming tired despite having ridden every conceivable ride, Cassian trudged down the corridor with a haggard face and deep dark circles under his eyes. Meanwhile, Bliss, cradled in Daddy’s arms, was chattering away excitedly.

“Cassian’s not very good at riding rides. He kept trying not to get on because he was scared, so I held his hand tight and cheered him on, telling him it was okay. After riding a few times, he got the hang of it after that…!”

At the sight of the elated child, the four adults wore fond smiles.

“It seems you had a very enjoyable time with Cassian.”

At the duke’s words, Bliss nodded, saying “Yes.”

“We could have played more, but we came back. Cassian just got used to the rides now. He should have gotten on sooner. That’s a bit of a shame. But it’s okay, because we can just ride them again.”

At the excited child’s words, the adults still smilingly responded, “Yes, yes.” Just then, Cassian arrived at the drawing room and spotted the little monster surrounded by adults, beaming broadly. Just at that moment, the duke asked.

“How impressive. Were the rides not frightening at all?”

“Not at all!”

The little monster shouted in high spirits.

“I’m a man, you see. So I rode them bravely. And I protected Cassian too!”

The duke and duchess turned their gazes toward their son, who had just entered, as if to ask, Is that true? But Cassian, with his hollow, fatigued eyes, stared at them and muttered something entirely different.

“I was told we’re going back now…”

At the sight of him murmuring as if his very soul had left him, the duke and duchess looked at each other in bewilderment, but soon composed their expressions as if they understood. Playing with a child was no easy task. Proud of their exhausted son yet also pitying him, the duke soon looked to Ashley and spoke.

“Well then, we shall take our leave for today. It has been a truly delightful time.”

Following the duke, his wife spoke.

“Thank you for inviting us. We shared many wonderful conversations. I do hope there will be another opportunity next time.”

Having offered her thanks courteously, the lady exchanged a smiling glance with Koi after Ashley, and then finally stopped her gaze on Bliss. With an affectionate smile, she added.

“I was so very happy to meet such a cute and lovely child.”

“Thank you.”

Koi smiled a proud smile even as he blushed. They were exchanging pleasant farewells and about to wrap things up in good spirits.

“Cassian, are you going home?”

Bliss, who had belatedly grasped the situation, suddenly shouted toward him. Cassian, who had been merely waiting for this tedious time to end, faltered, then soon turned back with a tired face and answered listlessly.

“I have to go. Obviously.”

At that answer, Bliss’s eyes visibly trembled in panic. As if he had never imagined such a situation at all. Seeing his son like that, Koi gently soothed him.

“Bliss, Cassian has to go back to his own home. This is Bliss’s home.”

Bliss found himself utterly speechless. Daddy’s words were right. Bliss stays at Bliss’s house and Cassian has to go to Cassian’s house. He knew that. But, but—

“I don’t want to say goodbye.”

Bliss murmured, his face crumpling into a forlorn expression. Letting his new friend, with whom he was completely taken, go just like this was absurd. No, absolutely not! Though they could see the child shaking his head violently, they couldn’t just indulge him unconditionally. Ashley scolded him quite sternly.

“Don’t throw a tantrum talking nonsense, Bliss. Now, say goodbye to our guests. Quickly.”

At the repeated urging, Bliss busily moved his head. Neither Papa nor Daddy was in any mood to listen to him. Then what should he do? How could he stay together with Cassian longer? How could he?

Ah.

In that moment, a genius notion flashed through Bliss’s mind. This is it!

A broad smile bloomed on the face that had been on the verge of tears just moments before. Turning his head immediately, Bliss shouted loudly toward Cassian, who until then had been feigning indifference and merely praying to leave this place soon.

“Cassian, let’s get married!”

The low murmur of people exchanging pleasantries vanished in an instant, and a heavy silence descended. The duke and duchess, Ashley and Koi—all stared at Bliss with eyes grown round as saucers. But the most horrified among them was Cassian himself.

…What is he saying, this crazy little runt.

Unable even to blink, frozen solid, he barely managed to think. A line of cold sweat trickled down his back.

∞ ∞ ∞

Tick, tock. The sound of the second hand on the wall clock echoed heavily. Though only a few seconds had passed, the silence seemed to press down on Cassian’s shoulders more heavily than ever before.

“…What did you say?”

The first to speak was Ashley. Thanks to that, the stifling silence shattered, but in its place, a chilling air spread eerily through the surroundings. It was even worse.

“Bliss, what did you just say? Do you realize what you’ve said?”

“Yeah, of course!”

When Koi hastily stepped in and asked, Bliss shouted proudly.

“I’m going to marry Cassian. I want to marry him, let me marry him!”

Seeing this, the duke and duchess lost all the composure they had maintained until now, visibly flustered and at a loss, stammering.

“W-well, I mean, this is…”

They looked at Cassian as if to ask what was going on, but their son was just as clueless. Seeing Cassian twisting his face as if indignant, mouthing ‘I’m innocent,’ Koi hurriedly asked Bliss.

“What’s this all of a sudden, Bliss? You say you want to marry Cassian?”

“What great meaning could a child’s words possibly carry? It’s just something said without thinking…”

Cassian hastily spoke up, but before he could even finish his sentence, Bliss shouted first.

“Marriage is something you do with someone you like!”

Silence fell once more, but it was subtly different from before. Amidst the people who couldn’t grasp the situation and were too baffled to speak, Bliss continued in a thoroughly elated voice.

“I like Cassian. When you get married, you live together without saying goodbye, right? Then today, tomorrow, every single day we’d be together, so we could play together forever and ever! That’s why I want to marry Cassian!”